Pacifica High School welcomes freshmen to campus for orientation
OXNARD, Calif. -- High School orientation is looking very different because of the pandemic. A lot of schools canceled freshman orientation or held it virtually. Pacifica high school in Oxnard found a way to bring kids on campus in a safe way.
This is freshman orientation in the year 2020. Masks on, six feet away from the next person, and temperature checks. Pacifica high school in Oxnard is one of the few schools in Ventura county still holding freshman orientation in person on campus. But what's normally a one day event with 800 freshman is now very different.
“We decided to spread it out in four days, so Monday through Thursday and we created four to five sessions per day so that there are only 40 freshman on campus at one time in that hour and a half period,” said Naseem Naghdi, who is the Triton transition coordinator, and science teacher at Pacifica High School.
Upper class-men give a campus tour to just five students at a time. All wearing masks and distancing
"We are not going inside the buildings,” said Naghdi. “They are just taking them on a tour around campus. Showing them the important buildings.”
"I was looking forward to this year, but this is very strange,” said Yahaira Carr, who is an incoming freshman.
"I wouldn't have pictured high school like this,” added Brandon Castillo, who is also an incoming freshman.
While many students were disappointed they couldn't have a normal orientation. Others were excited for the future.
"The school is kinda bigger than I thought,” said Dayton Aupiu, Incoming freshman. “It is a pretty cool school if you ask me."
No physical activity was allowed, instead students get to know each other through name games.
"Orientation is super important for incoming freshman because they are already going to be very nervous coming into high school and starting online makes it harder,” said Naghdi. “So it is really important for them to create that bond with the upper classmen that way they have somebody that they can talk to anytime through out their freshman year."
